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Are you a member of the “I Hate Making Cold Calls” club? It’s a big club. If you’ve been in sales for any length of time, it’s a good bet that you’re a member. If you’re new to the profession, it’s just as good a bet that you’ll be joining soon. Truth be told, nobody likes making cold calls.

Suppose you could call warm prospects rather than cold prospects. Would you be more comfortable making the calls? Would you be more likely to do so? Of course you would.

So, how and where do you find warm prospects to call?

First, we must make a distinction between a “cold” prospect and a “warm” prospect. If you sell lawn maintenance services, for instance, any residential neighborhood is filled with cold prospects. If you provide manufacturing process engineering servic­es, almost any industrial complex in your city is filled with cold prospects. However, you know little or nothing about these prospects in regard to their need or desire for your product or service. In fact, they may have no need or desire for your prod­uct or service—you just don’t know.

A warm prospect, in contrast, is someone who has a likely need or desire for your product or service. Not an absolute need or desire, mind you, but a likely need or desire.

So, how do you find these warm pros­pects? Unfortunately, there is no “Warm Prospect” directory you can consult. However, you have access to other re­sources that are quite valuable. Resources that can point you in the direction of those warm prospects. And, in some instances, arrange an introduction.
What are these valuable resources? Your existing clients.

Ok, I took the long route to get to the topic of “referrals.” And, for a good reason. Asking for referrals is typically “overlooked” to the same degree and for some of the same reasons that cold calls are avoided. Salespeople just don’t ask for them. And, they have almost as many excuses for not asking as they have excuses for not making cold calls: I forgot; it wasn’t the right time; I ran out of time; I’ll ask next time; and so on.

What prevents salespeople from asking for referrals? What makes them uncomfortable? There is a long answer that traces the origins of the discomfort to their child­hoods and would fill several pages (but not today). Then, there’s the short answer—fear. Fear of looking needy or being perceived as beg­ging. Salespeople justify giving in to their fear by suggesting that satis­fied customers will provide referrals without having to be prodded. If you have ever felt that way, you need to change your thinking. Yes, some customers do offer referrals without being asked, but most don’t. You must ask!

If your product or service has good value and you have provided excep­tional service to your clients, why wouldn’t they want to refer you to others who could also benefit from your product or service and also appreciate the level of service you provide? OK, they may not want to send you to their competitor, but they surely know other people to whom they can direct you. The only thing that would keep them from giving you referrals is your unwill­ingness to ask for them

Start today. Make a list of those customers with whom you have a good relationship and who have benefited from your product or service and have experienced your exceptional service. Set a date by which you will contact them and ask for a referral. Set a goal for the number of referrals you will obtain. Enter the number in your daily task reminder and make it part of your daily routine. The more people you ask and the more fre­quently you ask, the more referrals you will obtain.

If you’re looking for a specific type of prospect—individual, industry, size, location, etc.—prepare a brief description of the target prospect and share it with your clients to help them identify people with whom to put you in contact. Let your cus­tomers know exactly what you’ll be saying when you call the referrals. Assure them that you won’t pressure the referrals for appointments if they are not so inclined, even if there’s an apparent fit. And, where there is no apparent fit, you will gracefully and quickly back away.

When you receive a referral, ask your client to briefly describe why he or she believes the referred person qual­ifies as a potential client. The more information you obtain, the warmer the prospect…and the easier it will be for you to make the eventual call and start a conversation.
After contacting the referred individuals, contact your referral sources to once again thank them for the referrals and let them know the outcome of the encounters (and perhaps, obtain another referral).
Asking for referrals is the easiest and quickest way to identify warm pros­pects. Of course, if you’d rather… you can make cold calls!

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